Wednesday, January 26, 2011

It's been a year since I've been participating in Lisa's photo challenge and though I've really enjoyed exploring all the nuances of black and white photography (and enjoying all the variations on all the other blogs) I tend to lean toward one particular style.

Which is a good thing (when you're trying to establish a business and need to be unique and identifiable) but lately I've had a craving for a softer look.

My bent is to go to the extreme. (Did I surprise anyone?) And with black and white I automatically boost the blacks, the exposure, the contrasts and shadows and highlights. See.......? That's a lot of boosting.

So, I deliberately went the other way. Not too much 'cause........somebody cue the intro to "I gotta be me"! Ahem....sorry.

But enough so I sat back and said "oh, that's just so purdy and soft" and I don't say that a lot when I look at my pictures. I usually say something like "yeah....BAM.....and Bam again!!!

Ok....maybe a bit too soft here but I was having fun!

One things for sure - I could never get tired of looking at "that face"!

Monday, January 24, 2011

“Know you what it is to be a child? It is to be something very different from the man of to-day. It is to have a spirit yet streaming from the waters of baptism; it is to believe in love, to believe in loveliness, to believe in belief; it is to be so little that the elves can reach to whisper in your ear; it is to turn pumpkins into coaches, and mice into horses, lowness into loftiness, and nothing into everything, for each child has its fairy godmother in its own soul.”

Monday, January 17, 2011

I caught her looking just a little too cute in her jammies and ran for my camera.

Well......run is not really true. More like hobbled. I tore the meniscus in my "good" knee (did the same thing to the other knee two years ago and had that operated on) just before Christmas and am now waiting for my MRI and another operation. Oh yah!!

Ahhh........but looking at this face is medicine to my soul!

That's my little corner of the world.Please share with us what “Today” is like in your part of the world and link up with Communal Global's"Tuesdays Around the World" !

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Well.....maybe some of that and maybe a lot more stuff that we don't always talk about.

I know I paint a picture of sublime bliss with my girlies on this blog and I also know that most readers know that we all have good days and bad one too. But sometimes my lens only tells a very small part of the story.

And for awhile I've wanted to kind of tell it like it is. For a couple of reasons - first, if you know me and us you KNOW the real us but also, I think it's important to share what we know and what we've learned so others can be more prepared and at ease with the knowledge that they're not alone.

So....here's the dirt.

See these sweet girls of mine? (I softened the edit on purpose to really bring out the sweetness.)Since last summer in particular - we've hit some pretty rough patches in terms of their sibling relationship. (I know - you're shocked.)

The truth is - Dahlia came to terms with her disappointment in her expectations that she was getting a buddy or playmate, close to her age, who would "perform on command". (That is what we all wanted, right?)

Well, last summer Dahlia began expressing how this was all making her feel. And for quite awhile I let her vent and explore how she was feeling. She naturally doesn't share nor is in touch with how she's feeling so I indulged it.

But, it was getting nasty. Part of me knew she would grow out of it and part of me was afraid they would never bond. I worried that the chasm would widen so much that there would be permanent damage for Milana. She often felt rejected, and rightly so but no amount of talking would bring Dahlia around.

We required civility and that's what we got most of the time - but civility does not warm the heart nor do anything for attachment - so I worried.

Well.....I'm happy to report that situation has done a 180 degrees. We had a really low-keyed Christmas holiday period and both girls were off school for 18 days. (I know - unbelievable.)

We made almost no plans during that time and many days just stayed in our pj's and played, lounged, watched TV and really had fun together.

And you know what? Before long I heard things like this around the house. "Hey Milana, come here, let's play....." and "ok Milana, I've got the puzzles out" and "quick Milana - run and hide - before they find us, giggle, giggle"

And you know who was lapping it up.

When school let out just before Christmas, Dahlia checked to see when Milana's school re-opened (a week before hers) and laid out her plan. "Mom, can Milana go back early so we can have the last week together?" Well........she must have forgotten that this was what she wanted because she never mentioned it. Each day she enjoyed her little sister more and more.

Oh, I know they'll be bumps along the road.....

....but I'm so relieved that we turned a corner and they really enjoy each others company now.

I edited these black and whites in varying degrees to kind of prove a point (I know, I'm really deep ;)

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Hi, I'm Wanda. I am a happy woman, wife to Danny for...oh....lots a years and finally Mom to THE most adorable little girl from Hunan, China - Dahlia. And now we have been blessed again with another daughter, Milana, from Zhejiang, China. (The 2 best things I've ever done!)
We live in the Montreal area. After a loooonnngg wait for Dahlia's little sister Milana (pronounced - Mee-lana, like banana), we finally brought her home in August 2009. Dahlia came to us in Nov 2004 (at 20 months of age)and a year later we began the application for another baby - at the time the waiting period was around 8 months. Almost 4 years later (say what!?!)we, at last, brought Milana home.
This began as the story of our journey to bring Milana home and life with her big sister, Dahlia. It now continues as we live as a family of four!

God.
My (growing) family.
Hangin' out with my girlies.
My wonderful friends (you know who you are!).
To laugh (out loud and a lot!).
Music.
Painting. Hugs.
Long chats with my buds.
My garden.
To read (ha...when I can!).
Sunshine.
Spring, Spring and more Spring.
Building things.
Cooking.
Decorating.
Parties (ahem).
The internet.
Life.
Movies. A.I.
Dancing with the stars.
So you think you can dance.
Travel. Umm..did I say laughing my head off.
Oh Gee...everything actually!!